The Elvish Princess

Chapter Eight

Dust clouded her eyes as she waved her hands around her face trying to clear the air. Her face flushed red and she could feel the sharp pricks of tears in the corners of her eyes.

"No. Not here, not now. Not on their very first impression of you," she spoke softly to herself, "Pull yourself to Clairborne. Do not disappoint your father." Brushing off the elven knights that rushed to her aide, she pushed her self up and brushed herself off as best she could and inhaled deeply as she turned on her heel to look into the eyes of the family she would soon become apart of.

The first eyes she locked onto were piercing blue, annoyance and indifference mingled in them. He was tall, taller than any man she'd ever seen. His black hair was such a contrast to his light eyes and pale skin that Clair forgot to release the breath she had just taken. He was a sight to behold.

"Princess Clairborne," a voice spoke next to her as a hand guided her forward a bit more by her elbow, "King Ryelorn Dimaethoron." Thimben motioned to the man she had locked eyes with moments before and she stood taller. This was the man that was forcing her fathers hand. This was the man whose son she would marry in just three days time. This was the man that had turned her world upside down.

"King Ryelorn," she spoke, her voice almost sickly sweet as she curtsied low to the ground and rising ever so slowly. Her head was the last to lift and her eyes flashed to the King, almost in a challenge it seemed.

Rallian huffed through his nose behind Rhenir, almost laughing. She wasn't what he was expecting, and he knew for a fact she wasn't what anyone had been expecting. She wasn't sickly looking, she wasn't timid, she wasn't soft-spoken. This girl, this princess, was the opposite of everything they were expecting.

Silence fell over the stables courtyard as the stare down between King and Princess ensued when Queen Caeredrel cleared her throat, "Welcome to Arobyn, Princess. Shall we find you more...suitable clothes to wear for the festivities tonight?"

Clair slowly pulled her eyes away from the King toward the Queen. Expecting to find the same coldness in her eyes, she was taken aback to find a warm, soft smile on her face. She found her own face reflecting the Queens, a soft smile finding its way to her lips, "Thank you, your Majesty. That would be much appreciated."

Thimben cleared his throat, louder than he had expected too causing all eyes to turn towards him, "I - um - I will leave you to the care of the Queen, Princess?"

King Ryelorn raised an eyebrow at this. Did this knight think he had some kind of claim on the girl? The air of protectiveness that radiated from him was not something he had been expecting.

"Thimben, please meet me in the meeting hall once the horses have been taken care of. I would like to be debriefed on your travels," Ryelorn turned, parting his children as he walked back through the arch way of the garden. Rallian followed his father, whistling a mindless tune to himself as he did. Rhenir turned slowly, finding it hard to pull his eyes away from the girl who had looked at his father with such a challenge in her eyes. Even he would never dare to look directly at his father with that much fire. Shaking his head softly, he fell in step behind his father and Rallian. Something was very different about this girl.

Releasing the breath she had been holding Clair rubbed her lower back, now throughly aching from her tumble off the mare. The Queen walked towards her, still smiling softly, hands clasped loosely infant of her. A girl who looked like the younger carbon copy of the Queen followed her, curious eyes watching Clair's every move.

"Princess Clairborne, I am Queen Caeredrel. Would you care to follow me? Your rooms should be ready by now." The Queen motioned for Clair to fall in step next to her and she did, walking with the Queen and whom she assumed was her daughter, the Princess of Arobyn.